Star Of Full Metal Jacket, R. Lee Ermey Has Passed Away

Former United States Marine, and veteran actor Ronald Lee Ermey, known professionally as R. Lee Ermey, has passed away at the age of 74.

Ermey was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actor for his work on the film Full Metal Jacket. In the movie he played Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, a drill instructor at Parris Island. The role was a perfect fit for Ermey, because he was a Marine drill instructor during the Vietnam War. His real life experiences are credited for his ability to ad lib large chunks of his dialog in the movie.

His film resume goes beyond Full Metal Jacket, including films like Apocalypse Now, Mississippi Burning, Toy Soldiers, Seven, and Toy Story, among many others.

During his military career, he earned multiple medals and honors. Including the National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. In recent years, Ermey had participated in "morale tours" to visit US troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other middle eastern countries.